Warranty

The A-Class’ 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Stinger runs out after 100,000 miles.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the A-Class gets better fuel mileage than the Stinger:

MPG

A-Class

FWD

220 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.

24 city/35 hwy

AWD

220 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.

25 city/33 hwy

Stinger

RWD

2.0 turbo 4 cyl.

22 city/29 hwy

GT 3.3 turbo V6

19 city/25 hwy

AWD

2.0 turbo 4 cyl.

21 city/29 hwy

GT 3.3 turbo V6

18 city/25 hwy

Transmission

The A-Class offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Stinger doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The A-Class has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Stinger doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The A-Class stops much shorter than the Stinger:

A-Class

Stinger

70 to 0 MPH

153 feet

182 feet

Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the A-Class can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Stinger doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The A-Class’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Stinger doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The A 220 4MATIC handles at .95 G’s, while the Stinger Premium AWD pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Mercedes A-Class may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 600 pounds less than the Kia Stinger.

The A-Class is 11.1 inches shorter than the Stinger, making the A-Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Mercedes A-Class amounts to more than styling. The A-Class has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the Stinger (.3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the A-Class get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The A-Class has 2 inches more front headroom and .2 inches more rear headroom than the Stinger.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Mercedes service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 42% lower rating, Kia is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

The A-Class has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Stinger doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Stinger Premium/GT1/GT2, the A-Class has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The A-Class’ rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Stinger’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The A-Class’ optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Stinger doesn’t offer an automated parking system.